What did you do with your ebody/Mopar today?

[autoxcuda]

Started on my $50 70-71 lower front valence molding I bought at Spring Fling

Cleaning up with engine degreaser seemed to be fastest.

These get rock impact pits in them. Started a little bit with the Brillo wheel then during wheel

I like to steel wool the underside since it can show dents that protrude outward.
In that side, dents show as shiny high spots over the dirty underside.

Then clean off all dirt. After that remove bright dip coating with easy off oven cleaner

Easy off is the best for stripping the "bright" finish from aluminum.
Don't envy the tedious process that restoring involves. I recently restored a full car that had miles of aluminum and stainless trim on it.
Have to tackle mine soon.

Doing a little more work...

I have a Harbor Freight automatic center punch that I've rounded the head on.

What I'll do is locate the pinpoint rock chip ding on the back side. Then tink the metal outwards from the backside. And then finish block sanding the "outtie" bump down flat on the front side.

[jimynick]

I pulled the intake on my 408, looking for a possible lost pushrod and the cause of discovered coolant in the valley. This will also simplify checking the req'd pushrod length as well. Some idiot generously used The Right Stuff when it was put on and I can tell you that it is aptly named! Demo'd the Fel Pro gaskets that had never been run and allowed me to stretch my belly over the rad support and fenders for the hours it took to clean that GD Right Stuff off the mating surfaces (gee, thanks!) sop up the coolant and vacumn everything, while wondering what in hell I've done to offend the Engine Master gods to such a degree! 

[mtull]

Interesting that "they" use an acid etch to produce the texture

@YellowThumper can you expand on this information a bit more when your schedule permits?  Thank you for educating us on details often overlooked.  I'm interested in the topic in general as I have some parts I'd like to reproduce for fun, not business.  I've researched but not bought any of the necessary tools.

I don't have knowledge of their processes. Only the end result for injection mold tooling as a service for our builds.
Acid etch is removal of steel. This then provides the positive bump features when injection molding parts.
Process can be done to one off parts but it is a slow and costly process.
For reference, locally texturing a component sized 6"x8" would cost roughly $2000.00 us.

Too expensive for me but good knowledge to have.  Thank you for sharing those details.

[jimynick]

Got on the web looking for replacements for my intake gaskets and found that prices for stuff has gotten crazy! Not only that, but the supply ran from none to not before the end of the week. Since I didn't want to wait that long and as Wrench Monkey had them, I decided to go to them in Etobicoke. Dumb move. I got there about 3 and found they hadn't transhipped them yet, despite being assured that they'd be there when I got there. Grrr. Three quarters of an hour later and having burned $12 for a large glass of beer. (the waitresses were spectacular) I got my gaskets and if anybody here has tried to get out of Toronto at rush hour you'll feel my pain. Got home on the dot at 6! Tomorrow I tackle the push rod mystery, hopefully for once and all. Wish me luck! 

[ec_co]

Got on the web looking for replacements for my intake gaskets and found that prices for stuff has gotten crazy! Not only that, but the supply ran from none to not before the end of the week. Since I didn't want to wait that long and as Wrench Monkey had them, I decided to go to them in Etobicoke. Dumb move. I got there about 3 and found they hadn't transhipped them yet, despite being assured that they'd be there when I got there. Grrr. Three quarters of an hour later and having burned $12 for a large glass of beer. (the waitresses were spectacular) I got my gaskets and if anybody here has tried to get out of Toronto at rush hour you'll feel my pain. Got home on the dot at 6! Tomorrow I tackle the push rod mystery, hopefully for once and all. Wish me luck! 

In October I was warning people to start buying parts, even if they didn't need them yet. I stocked up in anticipation of getting the car finished this summer AND doubled up on some wear and tear items for the future (old stock preference as those are drying up fast too). glad I did, saved some $$ and headaches for sure.

That said, I ordered my power front disc brake conversion kit from Dr Diff and it shipped today, so that's one more big item crossed off.

[jimynick]

LOL, you're smarter than me. I thought I had extra intake gaskets, but when I looked they were all for the small port heads! One supplier said they were basically out of production, but I don't believe that. What I DO believe is that the manufacturers and distributors have taken the opportunity to jam the prices to the point of doubling and please don't give me any of BS they usually do. 

[YellowThumper]

Started on my $50 70-71 lower front valence molding I bought at Spring Fling

Cleaning up with engine degreaser seemed to be fastest.

These get rock impact pits in them. Started a little bit with the Brillo wheel then during wheel

I like to steel wool the underside since it can show dents that protrude outward.
In that side, dents show as shiny high spots over the dirty underside.

Then clean off all dirt. After that remove bright dip coating with easy off oven cleaner

Easy off is the best for stripping the "bright" finish from aluminum.
Don't envy the tedious process that restoring involves. I recently restored a full car that had miles of aluminum and stainless trim on it.
Have to tackle mine soon.

Doing a little more work...

I have a Harbor Freight automatic center punch that I've rounded the head on.

What I'll do is locate the pinpoint rock chip ding on the back side. Then tink the metal outwards from the backside. And then finish block sanding the "outtie" bump down flat on the front side.

Exactly how it is done.
Every piece on this needed attention.
Side trim was "bright" coated aluminum. All other is stainless. Will appreciate the minimal amount when Challenger is tackled.

[jimynick]

Nice Falcon! I've always liked the 64's and 65's! Back in the 60's Rankin
Ford in London, Ont. had a Wild Child, a '64 with a 427 SOHC in it. It was aptly named and made an impression on a Mopar boy that still exists today. Enjoy!

[ec_co]

That is a really sharp looking car!

[YellowThumper]

Nice Falcon! I've always liked the 64's and 65's! Back in the 60's Rankin
Ford in London, Ont. had a Wild Child, a '64 with a 427 SOHC in it. It was aptly named and made an impression on a Mopar boy that still exists today. Enjoy!

Thanks, would have loved to have kept it but just do not have sufficient room.
Received it from older brother in pieces, finished and sold it to my younger brother.

[YellowThumper]

That is a really sharp looking car!

Thanks.
Aptly named it Stanley.
I received it in boxes, ended up laying all of the trim out flat in driveway as I figured out where each trim piece would install.
Flat Stanley became the name.
Pic is of it currently residing temporarily in a private collection.

[jimynick]

I bit the bullet and ordered a new set of pushrods that I hope will solve that problem; we'll see. I also got out my straightedge and using about a 3 thou (markings are worn off) using a light checked the flatness of the intake flanges and they seem to be pretty good. That coolant leak has me a bit paranoid and I don't want a repeat of it. The clock's ticking and I hope I make it in time. 

[YellowThumper]

Learned a valuable lesson regarding fluid control.
Unfortunately have to remove headers and turbos to change spark plugs.
Since i am this far in I decided to also test compression to rule out the basics for my non idle issue.
All plugs out and started testing one by one. About 4 cylinders in, I finally noticed the oil spraying from the disconnected feed lines...
Pumped probably close to a quart of oil into center portion of airgap intake and down the back side of engine.
Another lesson learned the hard way.

[dodj]

Learned a valuable lesson regarding fluid control.

Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want.

[autoxcuda]

Started on my $50 70-71 lower front valence molding I bought at Spring Fling

Cleaning up with engine degreaser seemed to be fastest.

These get rock impact pits in them. Started a little bit with the Brillo wheel then during wheel

I like to steel wool the underside since it can show dents that protrude outward.
In that side, dents show as shiny high spots over the dirty underside.

Then clean off all dirt. After that remove bright dip coating with easy off oven cleaner

Easy off is the best for stripping the "bright" finish from aluminum.
Don't envy the tedious process that restoring involves. I recently restored a full car that had miles of aluminum and stainless trim on it.
Have to tackle mine soon.

Doing a little more work...

I have a Harbor Freight automatic center punch that I've rounded the head on.

What I'll do is locate the pinpoint rock chip ding on the back side. Then tink the metal outwards from the backside. And then finish block sanding the "outtie" bump down flat on the front side.

Exactly how it is done.
Every piece on this needed attention.
Side trim was "bright" coated aluminum. All other is stainless. Will appreciate the minimal amount when Challenger is tackled.

Backside after dinged out.
Frontside after high spot sanded some
then more sanding shows that the area is a little low